574 
Editorial. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
Nov.,  1877, 
larly,  if  the  reasons  for  the  suggestions  or  propositions  were  briefly  stated.  If 
worked  out  in  such  a  manner,  such  a  preliminary  revision  must  necessarily  embrace 
the  entire  pharmacopoeia,  and  to  make  it  thus  complete  should  be  the  aim  of  every 
society,  as  it  has  been  done  heretofore  by  a  few  only,  and  as  it  has  been  contem- 
plated by  the  American  Pharmaceutical  Association  at  the  last  meeting  in  the 
appointment  of  a  pharmacopoeia  committee.  The  fact  that  its  members  are  scattered 
throughout  the  country,  places  this  committee  at  a  great  disadvantage,  since  they 
can  meet  but  very  rarely,  and  the  intercourse  of  most  of  them  must  necessarily  be 
by  letter.  Its  labors,  however,  may  be  materially  lightened  by  the  local  organiza- 
tions, if  they  will  likewise  go  actively  to  work  at  the  preliminary  revision  and 
remain  in  communication  with  each  other  and  with  the  committee  of  the  national 
association,  exchanging  views  on  the  general  principles  which  should  be  observed 
in  the  new  pharmacopoeia,  and  on  the  changes  in  the  processes  which  appear  advis- 
able. 
The  special  committee  appointed  by  the  Philadelphia  College  of  Pharmacy  has 
organized  by  electing  Mr.  A.  B.  Taylor  chairman  and  Mr.  Wm,  C.  Bakes  secretary, 
and  commenced  the  work  in  earnest.  The  committee  of  the  American  Pharma- 
ceutical Association,  of  which  Mr.  Chas.  Rice,  of  New  York,  is  chairman,  has  also 
taken  steps,  and  the  latter  has  issued  a  circular,  inviting  attention  to  the  general  prin- 
ciples proposed  to  be  followed  in  reviewing  the  pharmacopoeia,  and  which  may  be 
briefly  stated  as  follows  : 
1.  To  abolish  the  present  division  into  a  primary  and  secondary  list  and  prepara- 
tions, and  to  arrange  all  articles  in  one  alphabetical  order  only,  whereby  such  natu- 
ral groups  as  Aquas,  Extracta,  Pilulae,  etc.,  would  be  retained. 
2.  To  have  the  Pharmacopoeia  too  full  rather  than  deficient,  and  to  propose  a  list 
of  remedies  to  be  discarded. 
3.  To  propose  crude  drugs,  chemicals  and  pharmaceuticals  for  admission. 
4.  To  add  to  all  crude  drugs  concise  descriptions,  and  to  notice  common  admix- 
tures or  sophistications;  also  to  accompany  the  botanical  name  of  each  plant  with 
the  name  of  the  botanist  and  of  the  natural  order. 
5.  To  describe  chemicals  and  define  them  by  tests  of  identity  and  purity,  and  to 
give  processes  only  where  differences  of  preparation  may  produce  different  results. 
6.  To  express  temperature  by  degrees  of  both  Centigrade  and  Fahrenheit. 
7.  To  give  the  formulas  and  atomic  weights  of  chemicals. 
8.  To  abandon  measures  of  capacity,  and  express  all  quantities  in  parts  by  weight 
only. 
9.  To  give  for  all  officinal  articles  the  average  single  and  daily  adult  dose,  and 
when  of  peculiar  effect  upon  infants,  also  the  maximum  dose  for  infants. 
10.  To  introduce  tables  of  the  maximum  doses  of  powerful  remedies;  of  poi- 
sons and  antidotes;  of  solubilities  in  water  and  alcohol;  of  specific  gravities  of 
alcohol  and  other  liquids ;  of  volumetric  and  other  reagents ;  of  the  relationship 
between  weight  and  measure  of  all  officinal  liquids;  of  the  chief  constituents  of 
important  mineral  waters;  of  the  relative  strength  of  powerful  galenicals  as  recog- 
nized by  foreign  Pharmacopoeias  used  in  this  country,  and  of  the  differences  in 
strength  as  made  by  the  present  and  revised  Pharmacopoeia. 
